In-utero smoke exposure due to maternal smoking is linked to impaired fetal lung development and decreased airway growth and can increase the risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial showed that vitamin C (500 mg/day), when given to pregnant smokers before 23 weeks of gestation, caused a significant improvement in airway function in their offspring at five years of age. This is the first study to demonstrate the consistency of vitamin C benefits through preschool age.
These findings show a way to ensure optimal respiratory outcomes in children of pregnant women unable to quit smoking, both in-utero and throughout their young life . They may help towards finding potential treatment options for other smoke exposures, including air pollution, vaping, and wildfires. Further research is needed to determine the optimum time for…
